U.S. patent application number 13/952144 was filed with the patent office on 2014-01-30 for syringe capable of measuring temperature of a patient body and method of manufacturing the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to Gwangju Institute Of Science And Technology. Invention is credited to Hyoung-Ihl Kim, Sun-Kyu LEE, Sung-ki Nam.
Application Number | 20140031758 13/952144 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49995546 |
Filed Date | 2014-01-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140031758 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
LEE; Sun-Kyu ; et
al. |
January 30, 2014 |
SYRINGE CAPABLE OF MEASURING TEMPERATURE OF A PATIENT BODY AND
METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME
Abstract
Disclosed are a syringe capable of measuring an inner
temperature of a patient body and a method of manufacturing the
same. In the syringe, a different metal from that of a syringe
needle is deposited on an inclined surface of a tip portion of the
syringe needle to form a thermocouple junction with the metal of
the syringe needle, whereby the region causing pain in a patient
body can be diagnosed while allowing administration of medicine
thereto, thereby enabling efficient treatment and significantly
reducing potential harm due to drug abuse.
Inventors: |
LEE; Sun-Kyu; (Gwangju,
KR) ; Nam; Sung-ki; (Gwangju, KR) ; Kim;
Hyoung-Ihl; (Gwangju, KR) |
Assignee: |
Gwangju Institute Of Science And
Technology
Gwangju
KR
|
Family ID: |
49995546 |
Appl. No.: |
13/952144 |
Filed: |
July 26, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
604/189 ;
604/239 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M 5/3286 20130101;
A61B 5/01 20130101; A61M 2207/10 20130101; A61M 2005/3125 20130101;
A61M 2230/50 20130101; A61M 5/3129 20130101; A61M 5/329 20130101;
G16H 20/17 20180101 |
Class at
Publication: |
604/189 ;
604/239 |
International
Class: |
A61M 5/32 20060101
A61M005/32; A61B 5/01 20060101 A61B005/01; A61M 5/31 20060101
A61M005/31 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 27, 2012 |
KR |
10-2012-0082807 |
Claims
1. A syringe capable of measuring an inner temperature of a patient
body, comprising: a first insulation layer formed by coating an
insulating material on a surface of a metallic syringe needle; a
dissimilar metal layer formed by depositing a different metal from
that of the syringe needle on an inclined surface of a tip portion
of the syringe needle to contact the inclined surface of the tip
portion of the syringe needle; and a second insulation layer formed
by coating an insulating material on the dissimilar metal
layer.
2. The syringe according to claim 1, further comprising: an exposed
portion at which a surface of the metallic syringe needle and the
dissimilar metal layer are exposed to an outside.
3. The syringe according to claim 1, wherein the insulating
material is a material allowing vapor deposition.
4. The syringe according to claim 3, wherein the insulating
material is parylene, polyimide, or epoxy resins.
5. The syringe according to claim 1, wherein the syringe needle is
formed of iron or Copper.
6. The syringe according to claim 1, wherein the dissimilar metal
layer is formed of constantan, gold, or nickel.
7. The syringe according to claim 1, wherein the dissimilar metal
layer has a thickness of 0.01 nm to 10 nm.
8. The syringe according to claim 1, further comprising: a voltage
measuring unit located within the syringe to measure
thermo-electromotive force; and a temperature display unit attached
to a body of the syringe or remotely connected to the body of the
syringe using a wireless data transmission module.
9. The syringe according to claim 2, further comprising: a voltage
measuring unit wire-connected to the exposed portion to measure
thermo-electromotive force; and a data collection/analysis unit for
analyzing measured voltage information and calculating an inner
temperature of a patient body.
10. A method of manufacturing a syringe capable of measuring an
inner temperature of a patient body, comprising: 1) coating an
insulating material on a surface of a metallic syringe needle; 2)
exposing the metallic syringe needle to an outside on an inclined
surface of a tip portion of the syringe needle; 3) depositing a
dissimilar metal layer formed of a different metal from that of the
syringe needle on the insulation material such that the dissimilar
metal layer contacts the metallic syringe needle exposed to the
outside; and 4) coating an insulating material on the dissimilar
metal layer.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, in 2) exposing the
metallic syringe needle, the metallic syringe needle is exposed to
the outside on the inclined surface of the tip portion of the
syringe needle through mechanical polishing or wet etching.
12. The method according to claim 10, wherein, in 1) and 4) coating
an insulating material, an exposed portion at which a surface of
the metallic syringe needle and the dissimilar metal layer are
exposed to the outside is formed through a masking process.
13. The method according to claim 10, wherein, in 1) and 4) coating
an insulating material, the insulating material is coated through
vapor deposition.
14. The method according to claim 10, wherein, in 3) depositing a
dissimilar metal layer, the dissimilar metal layer is deposited
through metal sputtering.
15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the dissimilar metal
layer is deposited to a thickness of 0.01 .mu.m to 10 .mu.m.
16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: providing
a voltage measuring unit located within the syringe to measure
thermo-electromotive force, and a temperature display unit attached
to a body of the syringe or remotely connected to the body of the
syringe using a wireless data transmission module.
17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: providing
a voltage measuring unit wire-connected to the exposed portion to
measure thermo-electromotive force, and a data collection/analysis
unit for analyzing measured voltage information and calculating an
inner temperature of a patient body.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to Korean Patent
Application No. 10-2012-0082807 filed on 27 Jul. 2012 and all the
benefits accruing therefrom under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119, the contents
of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Technical Field
[0003] The present invention relates to a syringe capable of
measuring an inner temperature of a patient body and a method of
manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a syringe capable
of measuring an inner temperature of a patient body, in which a
different metal different from that of a syringe needle is
deposited on an inclined surface of a tip portion of the syringe
needle to form a thermocouple junction with the metal of the
syringe needle to measure temperature of a region causing pain in a
patient body, thereby enabling efficient treatment of the patient
through diagnosis of the region causing pain and administration of
medicine while significantly reducing potential harm due to drug
abuse, and a method of manufacturing the same.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] A syringe is a medical instrument for administering a
medicine (injection) into a human body through a hole in a
hypodermic needle.
[0006] A disposable syringe is generally used to prevent secondary
infection through reuse of the syringe when administering medicine
to a patient.
[0007] In order to properly use a syringe, it is necessary to
administer medicine into a source of pain after accurately locating
the region causing pain.
[0008] A free field cylinder in the art has a temperature display
function, which includes a cylinder for containing a medicine, a
piston for pressing the medicine to discharge the medicine from the
cylinder, a temperature display unit placed on an outer surface of
the cylinder to display the temperature of the medicine in the
cylinder, and a thermochromic pigment secured to the temperature
display unit and reacting at a predetermined color changing
temperature.
[0009] However, the free field syringe having a temperature display
function is configured to measure and display only a temperature of
the medicine in the syringe, and is inconvenient in that the
temperature of a region causing pain in a patient body must be
separately identified.
[0010] A syringe in the art includes a temperature measuring
thermistor, which is inserted into a syringe needle to measure an
inner temperature of a patient body after a temperature measuring
needle secured by an epoxy resin is inserted into the skin.
[0011] However, although the syringe having a temperature measuring
thermistor can detect the inner temperature of a patient body
through the syringe needle, it is difficult to directly administer
medicine into the body through the syringe.
[0012] In the related art, diagnosis using ultrasound waves,
thermal images, or an electric field and administration of medicine
are separately performed in treatment of musculoskeletal system
pain disorder, thereby making it difficult to achieve accurate
treatment of pain while increasing a danger of side effects due to
drug abuse.
[0013] Therefore, there is a need for a syringe capable of
conveniently measuring an inner temperature of a patient body
without side effects to allow both diagnosis of a region causing
pain and administration of medicine.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0014] In order to solve such to solve such problems, the present
inventors have made an effort to develop a syringe capable of
measuring an inner temperature of a patient body, and found that
the inner temperature of a patient body can be measured based on
thermo-electromotive force from a thermocouple by depositing a
different metal from that of a syringe needle on an inclined
surface of a tip portion of the syringe needle to form a
thermocouple junction contacting the inclined surface of the
syringe needle.
[0015] It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a
syringe capable of easily measuring an inner temperature of a
patient body using a thermocouple junction.
[0016] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a
syringe capable of measuring an inner temperature of a patient body
is provided. The syringe includes: a first insulation layer formed
by coating an insulating material on a surface of a metallic
syringe needle; a dissimilar metal layer formed by depositing a
different metal from that of the syringe needle on an inclined
surface of a tip portion of the syringe needle to contact the
inclined surface of the tip portion of the syringe needle; and a
second insulation layer formed by coating an insulating material on
the dissimilar metal layer.
[0017] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
a method of manufacturing a syringe capable of measuring an inner
temperature of a patient body is provided. The method includes 1)
coating an insulating material on a surface of a metallic syringe
needle; 2) exposing the metallic syringe needle to an outside on an
inclined surface of a tip portion of the syringe needle; 3)
depositing a dissimilar metal layer formed of a different metal
from that of the syringe needle on the insulation material such
that the dissimilar metal layer contacts the metallic syringe
needle exposed to the outside; and 4) coating an insulating
material on the dissimilar metal layer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the
present invention will become apparent from the detailed
description of the following embodiments in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a partial section view of a syringe capable of
measuring an inner temperature of a patient body in accordance with
one embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of part `A` corresponding to a
tip portion of a syringe needle of FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a partial section view of an exposed portion of a
syringe capable of measuring an inner temperature of a patient body
in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which a voltage
measuring unit, a data collection/analysis unit, and a temperature
display unit are connected to the syringe;
[0023] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which a temperature
display unit is attached to a body of the syringe;
[0024] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the syringe and
the temperature display unit are connected by remote connection
using a wireless data transmission module;
[0025] FIGS. 7a to 7d are diagrams of a method of manufacturing a
syringe capable of measuring an inner temperature of a patient body
in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and
[0026] FIG. 8 is a graph depicting sensitivities identified by
measuring thermo-electromotive force according to temperature
change at a tip portion of the syringe in accordance with the
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described
in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be
understood that the present invention is not limited to the
following embodiments and may be embodied in different ways, and
that the embodiments are given to provide complete disclosure of
the invention and to provide thorough understanding of the
invention to those skilled in the art. The scope of the invention
is limited only by the accompanying claims and equivalents thereof.
Like components will be denoted by like reference numerals
throughout the specification.
[0028] Syringe capable of Measuring Inner Temperature of Human
Body
[0029] FIG. 1 is a partial section view of a syringe capable of
measuring an inner temperature of a patient body in accordance with
one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged
view of part `A` corresponding to a tip portion of a syringe needle
of FIG. 1.
[0030] The syringe 100 according to one embodiment of the invention
includes a syringe needle 110 formed of metal, and a body 120.
[0031] The metallic syringe needle 110 includes a first insulation
layer 112 formed on a surface thereof by coating an insulating
material thereon. Although the insulating material is deposited on
the surface of the syringe needle 110 through vapor deposition, the
first insulation layer is removed from an inclined surface 114 of a
tip portion of the syringe needle through mechanical polishing or
wet etching. As a result, the first insulation layer is not present
on the inclined surface of the tip portion of the syringe
needle.
[0032] In addition, the syringe needle 110 includes a dissimilar
metal layer 116, which is formed by depositing a different metal
from the metal of the syringe needle on the inclined surface 114 of
the tip portion of the syringe needle to contact the inclined
surface 114 of the tip portion of the syringe needle. A
thermocouple junction is formed in an area where the inclined
surface 114 of the tip portion of the syringe needle contacts the
dissimilar metal layer 116. When two dissimilar metals contact each
other, electric current is generated between a temperature
measuring junction and a reference junction, thus generating
thermo-electromotive force, which is called the Seebeck effect. A
temperature at the thermocouple junction can be measured by
detecting a thermo-electromotive force between the metal of the
syringe needle and the dissimilar metal, which form the
thermocouple junction through the Seebeck effect.
[0033] The syringe needle 110 further includes a second insulation
layer 118 formed by coating an upper surface of the dissimilar
metal layer 116 with an insulating material.
[0034] Any insulating material allowing vapor deposition may be
used as the insulating material constituting the first insulation
layer 1112 and the second insulation layer 118. Preferably,
parylene, polyimide, or epoxy resins may be used.
[0035] The first insulation layer 112 separates the syringe needle
from the dissimilar metal layer, and the second insulation layer
118 provides an insulation coating to the dissimilar metal layer to
prevent noise from outside. The thicknesses of the first insulation
layer and the second insulation layer are not specifically limited,
but may be adjusted to secure these functions. Preferably, each of
the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer has a
thickness of 0.1 .mu.m to 100 .mu.m.
[0036] The material for the syringe needle 110 and the metal for
the dissimilar metal layer 116 are not limited so long as they are
different materials capable of forming a thermocouple junction.
However, the syringe needle 110 is preferably formed of iron or
copper, and the dissimilar metal 116 is preferably formed of
constantan, gold, or nickel. Most preferably, the syringe needle
110 is formed of iron and the dissimilar metal layer 116 is formed
of constantan, such that a J type thermocouple junction is formed
on the inclined surface 114 of the tip portion of the syringe
needle.
[0037] It is advantageous that the dissimilar metal layer 116 has a
thickness of 0.01 .mu.m to 10 .mu.m to act as a thermocouple based
on a thermocouple phenomenon. More preferably, the dissimilar metal
layer 116 has a thickness of 0.1 .mu.m to 1.0 .mu.m.
[0038] FIG. 3 is a partial section view obtained by enlarging one
end of a syringe needle connected to a body 120 in a syringe
capable of measuring an inner temperature of a patient body
according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0039] In this embodiment, the syringe needle 110 is connected at
one end of thereof to the body 120 and is formed at the end thereof
with an exposed portion 130 at which a surface of a metallic
syringe needle 110 and a dissimilar metal layer 116 are
exposed.
[0040] The exposed portion 130 may be formed by coating an
insulation layer or depositing a dissimilar metal layer such that a
certain area is not coated or deposited through a mask, and the
surface of the metallic syringe needle 110 and the dissimilar metal
layer 116 exposed to the outside serve as a connecting portion
wire-connected to a voltage measuring unit.
[0041] FIG. 4 shows a syringe capable of measuring an inner
temperature of a patient body according to a further embodiment of
the invention, which further includes a voltage measuring unit 220
wire-connected to the exposed portion 130 to measure
thermo-electromotive force, and a data collection/analysis unit 210
for measuring an inner temperature of a patient body through
analysis of the measured voltage information. The syringe may
further include a temperature display unit 220 which displays
temperature information.
[0042] In some embodiments, however, the voltage measuring unit may
be located inside the syringe to measure thermo-electromotive
force, instead of being connected to the exposed portion, and the
temperature display unit may be attached to the body of the syringe
or be remotely connected to the body thereof using a wireless data
transmission module to display the measured temperature.
[0043] FIG. 5 shows a portable syringe 100 which includes a
temperature display unit 220 capable of displaying an inner
temperature of a patient body in a body of the syringe 100.
[0044] As shown in FIG. 6, an inner temperature of a region causing
pain in a patient body can be identified by the temperature display
unit 220 remotely connected to the body of the syringe 100 by a
wireless data transmission module 230.
[0045] Method of manufacturing syringe capable of measuring inner
temperature Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing the syringe 100
capable of measuring an inner temperature of a patient body
according to one embodiment of the invention will be described in
detail.
[0046] FIGS. 7a to 7d are diagrams of a method of manufacturing a
syringe capable of measuring an inner temperature of a patient body
in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
[0047] First, referring to FIG. 7a, a first insulation layer 112 is
formed by coating an insulating material on a surface 100 of a
metallic syringe needle 110. The insulating material is deposited
on the surface of the syringe needle 110 through vapor deposition
or the like to form the first insulation layer. Here, an inclined
surface 114 of a tip portion of the syringe needle is also
deposited.
[0048] Next, referring to FIG. 7b, the inclined surface 114 of the
tip portion of the syringe needle 110 is exposed. This process may
be performed by mechanically polishing or wet etching the inclined
surface 114 of the tip portion of the syringe needle coated with
the first insulation layer.
[0049] Next, referring to FIG. 7c, a dissimilar metal layer 116
formed of a different metal from that of the syringe needle is
deposited on the first insulation layer 112 to contact an exposed
portion of the metallic syringe needle 110. That is, the metallic
syringe needle 110 and the dissimilar metal layer 116 contact each
other on the exposed portion of the inclined surface 114 of the tip
portion of the syringe, which is formed by mechanical polishing or
wet etching, to form a thermocouple junction therebetween.
[0050] Here, the dissimilar metal layer 116 may be deposited
through metal sputtering, which is a vacuum deposition process in
which ionized gas of plasma is accelerated to collide with a target
and to emit atoms, thereby forming a film on a substrate. However,
it should be understood that the present invention is not limited
thereto. Advantageously, the dissimilar metal layer 116 has a
thickness of 0.01 .mu.m to 10 .mu.m to act as a thermocouple based
on a thermocouple phenomenon. Preferably, the dissimilar metal
layer 116 has a thickness of 0.1 .mu.m to 10 .mu.m.
[0051] Finally, an insulating material is coated on the dissimilar
metal layer 116 to form a second insulation layer 118. The second
insulation layer 118 is coated on the dissimilar metal layer 116
through vapor deposition to reduce influence of external noise.
[0052] Through the aforementioned process, a syringe capable of
measuring an inner temperature of a patient body, in which a
thermocouple junction is formed at a tip portion of a syringe
needle, can be manufactured.
[0053] As shown in FIG. 3, an exposed portion 130 at which a
surface of the metallic syringe needle and a similar metal layer
are exposed outside may be formed through a masking process during
coating of the insulating material. The exposed portion 130 may be
formed at one end of the syringe needle through which the syringe
needle is connected to the body.
[0054] Referring to FIG. 4, a voltage measuring unit 200 may be
wire-connected to the exposed surface of the syringe needle 110 and
the dissimilar metal layer 116. That is, the voltage measuring unit
200 for measuring a thermo-electromotive force is wire-connected to
the exposed portion 130, and a data collection/analysis unit 210
analyzes the measured voltage information to calculate an inner
temperature of a patient body. Here, the voltage measuring unit may
be wire-connected thereto through an electrode material, such as
silver paste or copper paste.
[0055] Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the voltage
measuring unit for measuring a thermo-electromotive force may be
located in the syringe, and the temperature display unit may be
attached to the body or remotely connected thereto using a wireless
data transmission module 230, instead of forming the exposure unit
130.
[0056] Now, the present invention will be described in more detail
with reference to one example.
EXAMPLE
Manufacture of Syringe Capable of Measuring Inner Temperature
[0057] Parylene was coated to a thickness of 1.5 nm on a surface of
a syringe needle formed of iron and having a diameter of 16 gauge
(1.6 mm) through vapor deposition. Then, an inclined surface of a
tip portion of a syringe needle was mechanically polished, and
constantan was deposited to a thickness of 0.2 nm on the parylene
coating through metal sputtering. Parylene was further coated on
the deposited constantan layer to a thickness of 1.0 nm to form a
syringe having a syringe needle as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0058] Next, thermo-electromotive force between constantan and iron
was measured while changing the temperature of the tip portion of
the syringe needle using a voltage measuring unit. Results are
shown in FIG. 8.
[0059] From FIG. 8, it can be seen that thermo-electromotive force
increased with increasing temperature of the tip end and had a rate
of about 14.3 .mu.V/.degree. C.
[0060] Thus, it can be seen that when a medicine is administered
into a patient body through the syringe needle, the inner
temperature of the human body can be measured due to the
thermocouple junction formed at the tip portion of the syringe
needle.
[0061] As described above, the syringe capable of measuring an
inner temperature of a patient body according to the invention may
directly measure a temperature of a region causing pain of a
patient body with a thermo-electromotive force generated from a
thermocouple junction formed on an inclined surface of a tip
portion of the syringe needle, whereby the region causing pain can
be diagnosed while allowing administration of medicine thereto,
thereby enabling efficient treatment and significantly reducing
potential harm due to drug abuse.
[0062] Although some exemplary embodiments have been described
herein, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that
these embodiments are given by way of illustration only, and that
various modifications, variations and alterations can be made
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The
scope of the present invention should be defined by the appended
claims and equivalents thereof.
* * * * *